Ultima Owl Essay

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Holden Peake June 4, 2012 Mr. Ngyuen/ Period 1 Title Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima has many significant symbols and one of them is Ultima’s owl. Antonio Marez is almost seven years old when the old healer Ultima comes to stay with him and his family in their small house in Guadalupe, New Mexico. Along with Ultima comes her owl, but this is no ordinary owl; it represents her life force and is always there for Antonio when he needs her. Ultima’s owl can differentiate between good and evil. The owl appears after Lupito’s death when Antonio is grieving and when Ultima and Antonio are healing is uncle the owl scares off the coyotes brought by the Trementina sisters who are believed to be witches. Also, the owl was able to gouge out Tenorio’s eye because he was going to hurt Ultima. At the end of the novel, when Tenorio kills the owl he literally destroys Ultima’s life force and this leads very quickly to her death. The significance of Ultima’s owl helps Antonio by comforting, protecting him from evil, and teaching him important lessons for the future. The first significant trait of Ultima’s owl is being able to comfort Antonio when Ultima is not there. One way is by singing at night to comfort Antonio and his family. The first night Ultima stayed with them Antonio recognized the owl in which, “It’s soft hooting was like a song….seemed to say that it had come to watch over us.”(13) That same night Antonio had a dream in which the Virgin smiled at the owl’s goodness. Another way the owl comforted Antonio was during a walk home after Lupito’s death in which the owl had seen throughout the night. As he walked it sang, and “Ultima’s spirit bathed me with its strong resolution.” (23) During rough times the owl sung to help Antonio and his family deal with such tragic incidents. Ultima’s owl is able to comfort Antonio when Ultima could

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